At least 10 women are thought to have made allegations that they were molested or pestered by Lord Rennard

Liberal Democrat women activists were on the verge of open revolt last night over the party’s response to the Lord Rennard scandal.

On another bruising day for Nick Clegg, representatives of those allegedly molested by the former chief executive called in the police to investigate whether criminal acts had taken place.

And they reacted with fury to a suggestion by Mr Clegg’s biographer, Jasper Gerard, that the affair had been ‘blown out of all proportion’ and was ‘no Jimmy Savile’.

In addition, Lib Dem peer Tony
Greaves made an astonishing attempt to defend Lord Rennard by describing
the complaints as ‘mild sexual advances’ and saying ‘half of the House
of Lords’ had probably behaved in a similar way.

Today Mr Clegg appeared to criticise journalists who had uncovered the claims, branding them 'self-appointed detectives'.

With mounting speculation about the threat the scandal could pose to his leadership, he also refused to give a 'running commentary' on events 'which happened many years ago.

Leaving his south-London home this morning, Mr Clegg said: 'I understand there are many people who appear to want to act as self-appointed detectives trying to piece together events that happened many years ago.

'But the only way that we are going to get to the bottom of the truth, the only way we are going to ensure that the women whose allegations were broadcast on television last week are properly listened to, the only way were are going to establish exactly what happened and who knew what and when, is by allowing the two investigations that I established immediately after the Channel 4 broadcast to do their job and, indeed, to allow the police, whom we have now approached, to do their job as well.

'And in the meantime I cannot and my party cannot provide a running commentary on every shred of speculation about events which happened many years ago.'

One alleged victim, former party activist Alison Smith, said she had gone public with her claims because Lord Rennard appeared to be back on the scene and involved in party ‘away days’ and weekends.

Last night, as party leader Mr Clegg insisted ‘no very specific allegations had been put to him’, it emerged that:

In 2010, his chief of staff, Jonny Oates, was given dates and details of five alleged incidents dating between 2003 and 2007

Metropolitan Police officers were in talks with party officials to assess whether any criminal acts had taken place

Lib Dem president Tim Farron admitted the party had ‘screwed up’

The Lib Dems slumped to their lowest-ever rating in a ComRes poll, which put them on just 8 per cent

At least ten women are now thought to
have made allegations that they were molested or pestered by Lord
Rennard, who was one of Lib Dems’ most influential figures until his
retirement in 2009.

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But
speaking to the BBC, Mr Gerard, who is standing for Parliament as a Lib
Dem in Kent, claimed the scandal engulfing Lord Rennard was ‘blown out
of all proportion’.

Nick Clegg (left) insisted 'no specific allegations had been put to him' and his biographer Jasper Gerard suggested that the affair had been 'blown out of all proportion' and was no 'Jimmy Savile'

Mr Gerard said the party’s former elections chief was accused of a ‘clumsy pass’ several years ago and said critics ‘need to keep some degree of perspective’.

Last night Miss Smith called for him to be dropped as candidate for the marginal seat of Maidstone and the Weald.

Yesterday a senior female Lib Dem peer said the party’s ‘male-dominated’ culture had helped engender the crisis and said she believed ‘quite a few’ more women would ‘come out of the woodwork’.

Alleged victim Alison Smith has said she decided to go public because Lord Rennard appeared back on the scene

Baroness Hussein-Ece said: ‘There aren’t sufficient checks and balances in place; there isn’t a sufficient number of high-ranking women in place to curb some of this behaviour.

'What’s liberal about only 13 per cent of our parliamentary party being women?

‘It’s
a bit like the (Jimmy) Savile situation: I think more women – and I
have heard of quite a few – will come out of the woodwork. These matters
must be turned over to police,' she told Huffington Post UK.

Labour’s
deputy leader, Harriet Harman told ITV’s The Agenda that women would be
more confident in telling groping men to ‘shove off’ if their
organisations were not as male-dominated.

She
said: ‘If you’re in a team with somebody on equal terms and some man
tries to grope you and you’re on equal terms and you don’t depend on him
for your job, you can just say “shove off”.

‘But if you’re right down the pecking order, you fear for your job if you actually say “get your filthy hand off me”.’

According to Channel 4 News, a Lib
Dem acting as an ‘intermediary’ for several alleged victims of sexual
impropriety by Lord Rennard contacted police.

Superintendent Kate Halpin
has been asked to look at the allegations.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘The Metropolitan Police Special Investigations Command has been approached by officials in the Liberal Democrat Party and is working with them to ascertain whether or not criminal activity has taken place.’